Straits Chapel & Blackwolf Run Wedding | Lauren & Lawson — Kohler, WI

Some rooms ask to be photographed quietly. Straits Chapel is one of them — all white, all glass, the lake admitted through the windows. Lauren and Lawson married there on a clear June afternoon, with her father at the front to marry them, then carried the day west to the river at Blackwolf Run.

Of the Morning, and the Details — The things that mean more than they weigh

The day began at the chapel, a little after noon — the gown, the rings, the shoes, the small heirlooms that carry more than their size. Above the entrance hang six bells, cast in a two-hundred-year-old foundry in Annecy, France. Lawson and his groomsmen readied nearby while Lauren stepped into her dress.

Of the First Look, and the Lake — A quiet moment above Lake Michigan

Before the guests arrived, the two of them met for a first look and slipped down to the bluff — Lauren and Lawson, and the whole breadth of Lake Michigan behind them. There is nothing to compete with out there. The water does the work, and the day softened from that point on.

Of the Wedding Party — The closest people, gathered early

Wedding party portraits came before the ceremony so that no one missed the celebration to stand in a line afterward — the groomsmen, the bridesmaids in deep green, and the whole party together on the chapel grounds.

Of the Vows, and the Bells — Married by her father

The ceremony was held inside the chapel at two o’clock, and it was Lauren’s father who stood at the front to marry them. A father marrying his daughter has a way of quieting a room. About thirty minutes, processional to recessional, framed by the tall center windows and the simple removable cross — and when the doors opened again, the bells rang and the two of them walked back out into the afternoon as a married couple.

Of the Evening, and the River — West to Blackwolf Run

A short drive carried everyone to Blackwolf Run, where the reception opened in the Bearclan room beside the Sheboygan River. There were toasts and a plated dinner, and — at Lawson’s request — the cake came after the meal, which has a way of letting an evening breathe. The first dance followed in the timber clubhouse, and later the specialty dances, with the grandparents among them on the floor.

Of the Last Light — Golden hour at Blackwolf Run

The most important minutes of a wedding day are often the last ones. With the sun setting near half past eight, Lauren and Lawson stepped away into the golden hour — the river, the footbridges, the gardens, the long light through the tall grass. The celebration carried on without them for a little while, and then they returned to it.

We photograph a small number of these each year, and the chapel is among the most considered rooms we know in Wisconsin. If you are planning your own day there, we keep a fuller account of the venue, the light, and the logistics on our Straits Chapel wedding photographer page.